Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), the venture capital firm embedded in the Cambridge ecosystem, has launched a new £100 million Opportunity Fund – anchored by Aviva Investors and British Patient Capital – to invest in growth stage deeptech and life sciences companies.

Sparta, a provider of real-time intelligence for commodity traders, has secured $42 million in Series B funding led by One Peak, with continued backing from Singular and FirstMark. This investment fuels Sparta’s expansion beyond oil and gas, accelerating its vision to evolve from a data provider into a full-scale AI-powered trading platform – an industry-wide operating system that empowers traders with actionable intelligence and collaborative decision-making.

METYCLE, a digital platform for international secondary metal trade, has successfully closed its €14.1 million Series A funding round. The round was led by 2150 with strong continuous investment from existing investors DFF Ventures, Market One Capital, Partech, and Project A.

Drip Water, the UK’s premier lifestyle water brand founded by British TV chef and musician Big Zuu, announces a strategic equity investment from Raya Holding. The £4 million investment will support the brand’s expansion across the Middle East, bringing its valuation to £100 million.